


Takes Me Back To You

by hllfire



Category: IT (Movies - Muschietti), IT - Stephen King
Genre: Drinking, Fluff, M/M, So does Bill, Soft Bill Denbrough, james mcavoy made me write this, this ship deserves rights
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-14
Updated: 2020-01-14
Packaged: 2021-02-27 14:00:08
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,107
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22248259
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/hllfire/pseuds/hllfire
Summary: Title from the song Ultimately by Khai Dreams.He picked up the phone, taking it to his ear and speaking a weak "hello", curious as to who it could be. There was silence for a moment before a voice came in through the phone."Bill?""Uh, yeah. Who's this?""It's Mike. Mike Hanlon. From Derry." the man said, making Bill frown as he remembered Mike little by little. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to call. Pressed the wrong number..."
Relationships: Bill Denbrough/Mike Hanlon
Comments: 4
Kudos: 36





	Takes Me Back To You

**Author's Note:**

  * For [reddierly](https://archiveofourown.org/users/reddierly/gifts).



> Well, this is my first It fic after watching the movies like, 3 days ago, that I made only because Ash fucking annoyed me to watch them and now I'm invested in the gay homophobic movie. 
> 
> Also Mike deserves love. 
> 
> Enjoy.

Bill didn't expect his phone to ring that afternoon. He wasn't expecting any calls while his eyes were concentrated on the laptop screen where parts of his new book were being finally written, the sound of the device vibrating on his desk taking away his concentration in the middle of an important scene for the story. He sighed, knowing that getting into the line of thought he had while writing before the call again would be a difficult task, noticing the unknown number on the screen of his phone. The only information is that the number was from Maine. 

He picked up the phone, taking it to his ear and speaking a weak "hello", curious as to who it could be. There was silence for a moment before a voice came in through the phone.

"Bill?"

"Uh, yeah. Who's this?" 

"It's Mike. Mike Hanlon. From Derry." the man said, making Bill frown as he remembered Mike little by little. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to call. Pressed the wrong number..."

"It's okay." Bill paused for a second, looking at his computer and deciding that the writing could wait, a strange feeling of nostalgia hitting him as he heard Mike's voice, saving his work and closing all the tabs before speaking again. "How are yuh-y-you?"

"Oh, I'm… I'm fine." Bill couldn't see the other man but he could hear the smile in his voice after he stuttered. A simple little thing that Bill still had to deal with and that made Mike miss even more the old days. "Thanks for asking. How's life going for you?"

"Good! It's good." he nodded to himself, as if he was trying to making himself believe his own words. "I have a job now. Writing nn-novels."

"Oh yeah, I know. I've read some of your books."

"Oh?" Bill suddenly felt a bit more nervous. One thing was complete strangers reading his works and criticizing or liking it — or even hating sometimes —, but someone who had been his friend growing up and that he still considered a friend even if they didn't talk in years was a complete different thing. "Do… Do you like th-t-them?"

A small laugh came from the other side of the phone, making Bill smile as well with the sound. It somehow made his chest get lighter. It's been a while since he heard Mike's voice and, in consequence, his laugh. It was soft. Bill didn't even notice how much he missed it. 

"I do. You sure know how to write a good horror book. But…"

"But?"

"You should work on your endings."

Bill sighed but laughed nonetheless. He heard that a lot, and yet he insisted in making the ending everyone was upset about anyway. Out of the idea that a writer should write to themselves or out of stubbornness, no one knew. Maybe a mix of both. Once Bill Denbrough insisted on something, it was hard to change his mind about it. 

The two men talked for a while about life, mostly Bill's once Mike seemed very interested in the man's life now that he was away from his hometown and living in the City of Angels. None of them even notice the time passing by while talking. 

"Where are you living nuh-now?" there was a smile in Bill's lips, the conversation giving him a sense of happiness he missed ever since he lost contact with his other friends.

"I'm still in Derry." Mike's voice got tired all of the sudden, the smile in Bill's lips going away slowly. "Never left."

"You didn't- _Why_?" 

Mike stayed in silence while the other man waited for a response. When he finally talked, his voice seemed not only tired but also sad. 

"I need to be here. To watch over the town."

A sense of dread coursed through Bill's body, something on the back of his mind attempting to be remembered, as if a big part of his life, of his friendship with Mike, was forgotten along the way. It was not a good feeling, it was dark and made Bill's breath go more rapidly. It was the same feeling he tried to pass whenever he wrote one of his horror novels. It was also the same feeling he had whenever he remembered Georgie. And yet he had _no idea_ where it came from. He tried to speak again, noticing he couldn't talk for a moment thanks to his stutter. Whatever that feeling was, it made Bill incredibly nervous.

"I remember yuh-you th-telling me you wan-wanted to go to Florida?" and Bill did. He remembered a old conversation that was almost completely blurred in his mind about Mike telling him and the other Losers he wanted to go to Florida. The memory was weak thought, taking a lot for Bill to remember it. "What happened?"

"Told you. I need to be here. Everyone left, so I stayed." 

"And you're happy like th-this?"

Mike didn't answer. Bill felt his chest getting heavy once the answer never came and guilt seemed to start emerging and taking a hold of him. His eyes darted to his left hand's palm, seeing a big scar he carried ever since he was a child. There was something about it, a forgotten promise he knew had something to do with Mike still being in Derry. He looked around for a moment, his office was messy from the days he had been writing and didn't make an effort to clean it. His laptop was still open on top of his desk, he needed to finish his book soon so he could publish it on time, but his plans seemed to change. He smiles tiredly as he closed the computer and fixed some loose papers on top of his desk.

"Wh-what do you think about a visit?" that seemed to catch Mike's attention. 

"What?"

"It's been a long while since we saw each o-other. How many years?"

"Twenty three…" 

"Oh…" Bill felt even worse about it. He knew he had left everyone behind after leaving Derry, but he didn't realize how long it had been since he last saw his old friends. "Well, I… I'll go th-th-there. Visit you."

There was silence before a seemingly tired laugh came from Mike on the other side of the line. Bill just waited.

"Okay then." there was a hint of a smile in Mike's lips again, even if his voice sounded sad. "I'll be waiting."

***

Mike didn't really expect Bill to show up at Derry that afternoon, two days after the call. He thought that the man was just saying it to be nice, to try and make Mike feel better with the idea he would show up. Even while discussing where they would meet, Mike was still skeptical. They decided to meet at a bench on the Town Center at 4pm. Mike didn't believe Bill would be there, and yet he still went. Some part of him _hoped_ he would be there.

He got to the Town Center early and waited. When his clock showed that it was 4pm and Bill wasn't there yet, he felt that little hope that was hidden in the back of his mind fade away slowly. Why would Bill come? Twenty three years and Bill haven't visited _once_. Why would that change now? 

"Mike!" his eyes darted up as a voice called his name, seeing a man walking towards him with a big smile on his face.

Mike's heart skipped a beat, his whole body filled with happiness to see Bill walking towards him. He couldn't believe that he actually came, that he was there, fixing his backpack on his shoulder while he almost jogged towards him, excited to see Mike again. When he was finally close enough, Mike started walking towards him and hugged him close, making Bill let out a soft laugh while hugging his friend back. Both of them felt comfortable in that hug, felt like it's been too long since they done that. 

"You really came!" Mike said out loud, his voice sounding way more excited than he wanted to.

"Of course I did! I suh-s-said I would!" Bill couldn't help but stutter, the good feeling of being with Mike again being almost overwhelming. 

"It's really nice to see you…" the man's voice softened as he hugged Bill tighter.

"It's nuh-n-nice to see you as wh-well."

They parted the hug, both of them with smiles on their faces, looking at each other for a while. Mike patted Bill's shoulder before stepping back a bit, still smiling widely.

"You look better than the picture behind your books." Bill laughed, shaking his head, seeing Mike shrug while laughing as well. "It's been so long."

"It rh-really has been… I should've visited yuh-you sooner." 

"It's okay, you're here now." Bill smiled as he saw Mike's expression get softer, feeling his heart fluttering inexplicably with that. "Let's make the most of it."

***

After walking through the town and leaving Bill's backpack on one of the town inns, both of them were laughing while eating chinese food ignoring the few people that were around them on the restaurant. The Jade Of The Orient wasn't exactly full, a few people here and there ate their foods calmly while the two men at a corner talked loudly about the past. 

"Oh, I miss the others..." Mike shook his head, taking more of his food with the chopsticks and swallowing it quickly, a sad smile appearing on his lips. "Seems like everyone found their place outside Derry."

Bill poked his food quietly for a moment, a few good memories coming back to his mind as Mike said that. He didn't even realize how much he missed his old group of friends and how lonely he had become without them. He had some new friends, of course, but none like the Losers. His eyes focused on Mike for a moment, seeing the man eating with that sad look still on his face. He was the only one who stayed, the only one who apparently didn't move one. The only one who didn't forget. 

"Maybe we cuh-could try to find the others… Have everyone back together." Bill shrugged, catching Mike's attention. "I don't know where th-they are, though. Except Richie. Apparently he became a s-stand-up comedian. And Bev became a ff-fashion designer, which is cool, I guess."

Mike cleared his throat, seemingly embarrassed by something, his cheeks going slightly pink as he looked away. Bill frowned at this.

"I've been… keeping track of everyone." Mike confessed, making Bill frown even more. "That's why I had your number in the first place."

"Okay…" Bill put his chopsticks down, looking at Mike with some surprise in his eyes. "When you s-say _keeping track_ , you mean…?"

"I mean I keep myself informed of where everyone is and their phone numbers in case… In case I need everyone back."

Bill's scar seemed to burn inside his hand and he closed it into a fist, that bad feeling coming back to his mind again but going away as quick as it came when he looked at Mike's smile that was directed at him.

"Sorry if I sound like a creep…"

"No, no… It's fine. I'm actually glad yuh-you had my number and called. I missed you."

Mike got red in the face again, looking down at his plate and eating quickly, as if those few words had made him embarrassed. Bill started to ask himself if he had said something wrong, getting nervous himself and desperate to change the subject.

"Suh-s-so, uhm, what do yuh-you do here in Derry?" he smiled, trying to get Mike back to normal. 

"I, uh… I work at the public library now. I live there also, actually. In the tower."

"Oh… Really? I nuh-never took you for a library man but that's nn-nice."

"I spend a lot of time reading now. Learning more about the town and-" Mike stopped, his eyes looking directly into Bill's. He seemed hesitant in saying something, as if he could break Bill if he did. Mike's lips opened and closed a few times before he sighed and smiled as if he was trying to hide something. "And some other stuff that grabs my interest…"

"And I hope you also read my books…" Bill raised his eyebrows, the tone of his voice and the smile on his lips showing he was messing with Mike, making him laugh softly.

"Actually, yes. Even if the endings are crap." Mike shrugged.

Bill faked a offended face, making both of them laugh and soon the conversation became light again, both of them looking at each other with smiles on their faces.

***

Mike ended up taking Bill to his place at the library with a promise of a good drink and somewhere where they could scream about their lives without bothering anyone else. While entering the empty library, Bill's eyes darted over the shelves that had the recommended books of the week, noticing a few familiar covers among the ten books that were on display there. He smiled as he saw that three of his books were there, _The Black Rapids_ in the first place with _The Dark_ and _The Glowing_ in the fourth and fifth places. He knew Mike was responsible for that, which made his cheeks get slightly pink as the smile didn't leave his face.

Once they got up to the library tower, where Mike lived, Bill looked around for a moment, seeing the simple space his friend had been living for so long now. Next to the window that had a view of the Town Center there was a few papers stuck to the wall, mostly newspapers and some missing people fliers, together with a desk that was a mess of books and papers. On top of the desk, there was a book about the history of Derry that made Bill have some kind of _deja vu_. There was something his mind was desperate to remember, and he felt again his scar burn a little.

"Hey, are you okay?" Mike's voice called and Bill blinked a few times, his attention now going to the man in front of him. 

"Y-Yeah… I'm fine." he said, looking at Mike's hands and seeing that, in the meantime, he got two glasses of whiskey, and was offering one to Bill. "Th-Thank you."

After that, the night went on nicely. A song played quietly on the background as they talked the night away, laughing and remembering stuff from their childhood that Bill had apparently forgotten pretty easily. At some point, both of them drunk enough to see everything blurred, deciding to lay down for a moment while talking excitedly about everything and nothing at the same time. They didn't even care that they were sharing a bed at that moment, looking at the ceiling as the night went by gently.

"Don't you ever th-t-think about luh-leaving this place?" Bill asked rather loudly, throwing his arms up and looking at Mike with confusion in his eyes. "Theres sss-so much out there and your stuck in duh-d-Derry…"

Mike's expression saddened, making Bill afraid that he had said something wrong. In despair, Bill sat up too quickly as he was about to apologize for whatever he had said, making the world around him turn way too fast and making him almost fall from the bed if it wasn't for Mike pulling him back by his shirt. Bill laughed drunkenly before looking back at Mike, his face still carrying that melancholic expression.

"I can't leave. I need to be here." his voice was rough. Bill couldn't tell if it was because of the drinks or something else. "Everyone left and forgot about… _everything_. I can't do that, I need to be here. I need to remember."

Bill laid down again, his eyes focused on Mike, who looked back at the drunk man with his cheeks blushing slightly. The blue of Bill's eyes seemed to be stained with worry for Mike, making him look away quickly as he couldn't stand that look so close to him. This time, Mike was the one to sit up on the bed, his back turned to Bill.

"I'm sorry." Bill wasn't sure why he was apologizing for. Maybe for forgetting whatever Mile was talking about. Maybe for not visiting sooner. Maybe for not staying there with him. Maybe all of if at once. Mike only shook his head, still not looking at Bill.

"It's fine."

"No." Bill sat up again, slower this time, staying beside Mike and looking at this face. "We wuh-were a group and th-then suddenly everyone was gone… No one th-talks anymore. I didn't want th-to forget..."

Mike looked back at him, both of them staring at each other for a moment, when Bill seemed to remember something. It was an old memory, blurry but still recognizable. Mike was younger, and so was Bill. The sun was shining brightly, the wind was blowing softly, and there was a kiss, soft and innocent, uncertain but full of certainty. Bill's cheeks turned pink as he remembered it and his eyes quickly looked down at Mike's lips. Mike seemed to realize that and his eyes widened, but he didn't back away while Bill slowly got closer. It was soft, a quick touch of lips together and a flood of feelings that Bill recognized as soon as they came. Of all things, Bill didn't believe he forgot about this. 

They looked at each other, slightly embarrassed and not knowing what to do from there. Mike started to play with his own shirt, thinking about something.

"You could stay." his voice was quiet and he didn't seem to believe his own words, knowing that Bill wouldn't stay.

"My luh-life is in LA now…" Bill's voice was sad, a tired sigh leaving his lips. He realized that he was more sober than he was before. "You cuh-c-could come with me."

Mike shook his head, closing his eyes. "I can't leave… Not yet."

Both of them sat in silence for a moment, looking at their respective hands before Bill took his to Mike's face, making him look back him, placing another kiss to his lips, more sure this time. Mike looked at him quizzically, seeing a soft smile appear on his face before he hugged Mike tightly. 

"Then we'll juh-just have to make th-the most of these few days I'll stay…" 

Mike smiled, hugging the man back and sighing softly, wanting to accept Bill's offer more than anything, but sadly knowing that he couldn't. Still, Bill was there, and that's all that mattered in that moment. They were together, and he would focus on that for now.

**Author's Note:**

> Cute right? Bill will forget everything once he leaves Derry again. :-)
> 
> Please leave a comment and some kuddos! ♥️


End file.
